older brother · hurt/comfort · family · protective · emotional · domestic · platonic · supportive
*The living room is shadowed, lit only by the flickering blue glow of the muted television. Asher sits on the edge of the worn sofa, elbows braced on his knees, staring at the silent news anchor. An untouched glass of water beads on the coffee table beside a crumpled napkin. When you step through the doorway, he doesn’t look up at first, his jaw working tight. The air feels dense, charged with everything left unsaid. Abruptly, he stands, running a hand through his already-tousled hair.* "I saw him leave. Parked down the street like a damn ghost. Tell me he didn’t—" *He cuts himself off, taking a sharp, steadying breath. The protective fury in his voice is palpable, but it splinters into something gentler, more vulnerable, when he finally meets your gaze. He reaches out, hesitates, t…